New Orleans, La –  Xavier University of Louisiana, the nation’s only historically Black and Catholic institution, was one of 20 recipients of Gilead Sciences’ Racial Equity Community Impact Fund (RECIF), which launched to support high-impact organizations working to tackle racial inequities affecting Black communities across the United States. Through Gilead’s continued support, Xavier has significantly expanded its pre-college programs. Xavier’s College of Pharmacy has also partnered with Gilead for a health equity collaboration to serve underserved populations. The RECIF grant will continue to support the university’s strong goals of continuing to serve underrepresented populations as it enters its next century of service. 

“Xavier is delighted to be a recipient of this funding and excited to continue collaboration with Gilead to reduce health and educational disparities," said Dr. Margueritte Giguette, Interim Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs. "Xavier instills a desire to serve the underserved and a mission to promote a more just and humane society. That attitude has a ripple effect on the communities we serve, and thanks to Gilead, we can reach even more people from underrepresented populations and improve education access and health equity.” 

RECIF initially provided $10 million in grants to 20 organizations over a three-year period. The program supports organizations dedicated to 1) community advocacy and mobilization: groups that organize and mobilize communities to join the quest for racial equity and social justice, working toward an equitable distribution of resources for Black communities; 2) social justice: organizations and HBCUs training the next generation of leaders; 3) educational innovation: institutions focused on providing educational advancement and career development services for Black students, young professionals, and families.  

“Gilead is committed to creating equitable opportunities for the patients we serve, our employees and the communities in which we live and work,” said Daniel O’Day, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Gilead Sciences. “The Racial Equity, Community Impact Fund, will provide resources to groups that are working on the frontlines to combat social inequities directly impacting the health and wellness of the Black community. This program is one of the ways that we are delivering on our commitment to promote racial equity and social justice.” 

Xavier and Gilead’s partnership has been instrumental in providing financial investments for the university’s initiatives. In August 2022, Gilead announced a new health equity collaboration with the Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education (CMHDRE) at Xavier University of Louisiana’s College of Pharmacy and the Satcher Health Leadership Institute (SHLI) at Morehouse School of Medicine. 

Xavier was also one of 13 recipients of the Gilead Foundation’s Creating Possible Fund™ in 2022, which was launched to support creative and high-impact strategies that advance health through education equity. The Fund grants Xavier $3,000,000 for a three-year period, which is responsible for expanding of Xavier’s pre-collegiate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programming, including its Stress on Analytical Reasoning (SOAR-X) and Star (MATHStar I and II, CHEMStar, BOIStar, PHYStar) programs. It will also support re-establishing the very successful Louisiana Engineering Advancement Program (LEAP) and a pre-college, for-credit dual enrollment program for high school seniors and recent high school graduates known as XULA Achieve. XULA Achieve will be implemented across three separate terms and is a year-round program. 

In 2022, Gilead was a sponsor for Xavier’s homecoming celebration, hosting several on-campus events as part of their seven-city “HBCU Roadshow” tour to advance Black health and equity. Gilead also funded the Gilead Scholars program at Xavier. Scholars for Equity in Justice are selected prior to entering the university as freshmen. These students are chosen for their demonstrated high level of academic success, commitment to community service, and heart for activism. In subsequent years, scholars will deepen their understanding of social justice, applied research, and equity policy issues by engaging in year-long projects in partnership with community residents, community organizers, and Xavier faculty. 

“Without the support of the Gilead Foundation, we would not be able to inculcate Xavier undergraduates with a social justice philosophy and way of being that they have been able to infuse into their academic interests, from Biology to Psychology,” said Dr. Cirecie West-Olatunji, the Melba Fortuné Martinez Endowed Professor in the counselor education program and director of the Center for Equity, Justice, and the Human Spirit at Xavier. “This program promises to issue a new generation of intentional social justice professionals to the underserved in New Orleans and beyond.”